Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has long been a blowhard. But after suggesting that President Donald Trump “seems a little obsessed with me and with Chicago,” and that perhaps “he’s got Pritzker Derangement Syndrome,” we can safely say he’s deluded as well.
Here’s what the pompous governor had to say: [Emphasis added.]
[We] have reduced crime significantly in Chicago and the state of Illinois. We are in the bottom half in terms of high violent crime of the states. We’re nineteenth best in the country. I’d like to be first best in the country, but nineteenth is way better than the president is indicating and the city of Chicago isn’t even in the top 25 most dangerous violent crime cities. So, he needs to do a little reading — I know he doesn’t do much of that. Instead, maybe someone can inform him of what the facts are.He seems a little obsessed with me and with Chicago. Maybe he’s got Pritzker Derangement Syndrome. But maybe, again, he could just take a beat, learn a few things, and focus elsewhere, maybe on protecting the country from the axis of evil that is beginning to form between China, Russia, North Korea and they’re drawing in India now.
Pritzker’s outrageously tone deaf remarks came just one week after Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said the exact same thing when the two locked horns over cleaning up Baltimore, which, according to FBI data, was the third most dangerous U.S. city in 2024.
During an interview with CNN host Kaitlan Collins, Moore said, “The president seems to be obsessed with me. Today he called me a beauty and when I first met him, he just talked about how I was a good looking guy.”
“And now he just continues to make statements that are just flat out false about our state’s largest city,” he added.
The governors flatter themselves. Too bad they’re both missing the point. Downplaying the severity of violent crime in their states’ largest cities betrays the very people they were elected to serve.
Considering there were more than 50 shootings and eight deaths in Chicago last weekend, Pritzker’s threats to “immediately go to court” if Trump sends National Guard troops into the city aren’t a good look. Even Democratic strategist David Axelrod recommends that he accept federal help to make the Windy City safer.
The bottom line is that Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have failed to protect their constituents. And former Chicago Police Chief Jody Weis knows the reason why. Asked why the pair are refusing Trump’s offer of federal assistance to combat crime during a Tuesday interview with The National News Desk, he did not mince words: They’re afraid it might work.
I think they are afraid that people will see what can be done if politicians commit to taking action and really want to make a difference. That’s really the only reason I can think of because otherwise, it makes no sense.
According to Weis, 81% of shooters and 78% of shooting victims are black.
So you’ve got black-on-black crime and yet the governor and the mayor said they don’t want any help. So, to me, when you refuse help, you are saying you are happy with the numbers — and that is absolutely unacceptable in Chicago right now.I see JB Pritzker walking the lake at 6 o’clock in the morning, saying, ‘There’s no crime here. It’s beautiful.’ Well, it’s 6 o’clock in the morning along the lake. I live pretty close to that area. There is no crime. Let him walk in the Austin neighborhood or the Inglewood neighborhoods at 11 o’clock because that’s where many of his constituents live — and they’re not going to feel safe.
Weis was referring to Pritzker’s early morning stroll along Chicago’s scenic Lakefront Trail with a reporter last week. Citing the bloody weekend, she asked the governor, “Would you ask your friends to ride the L [train] after midnight or after 9 o’clock at night?”
Pritzker replied, “Look, big cities have crime. There’s no doubt about it. But let’s just pay attention to what President Trump is doing, targeting Chicago. He’s overlooking red states that have much higher crime rates.”
While it’s true that some red states, such as Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee, have high crime rates, this is largely driven by the Democrat-led cities within them: New Orleans, Jackson, St. Louis, and Memphis, respectively, which rank among the most dangerous cities in the country.
And yes, all big cities struggle with crime. But the primary responsibility of any government is to protect its citizens and uphold law and order, a duty Pritzker and Johnson have abdicated.
So the question becomes: What level of crime do they consider tolerable? How many murders are acceptable before they concede that Chicago’s violence demands more than a dismissive shrug?
Why are the governor and the mayor siding with criminals over Trump? Would they rather see more murders and violent crimes, as Weis suggested, than allow Trump another win? Well, it certainly looks that way.
Chicagoans don’t feel safe. Man-on-the-street interviews have shown that many residents would welcome federal help to lower the city’s crime rate.
The reality is that Johnson and Pritzker are losing the debate on crime. The governor telling people that Trump may be “a little obsessed with me” and insinuating he suffers from “Pritzker Derangement Syndrome” just makes him look delusional. Any sane leader would put the safety of their constituents ahead of their own very real Trump Derangement Syndrome — but they can’t, and they won’t.
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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